It's not enough to knit sweaters for our children and grandchildren. Dexterous fingers need more. They need to knit something smaller, faster. They need to knit hats for cats.

What started as a lark and to honor the grandmother who taught her to knit has turned into steady work for Sara Thomas, author of "Cats in Hats: 30 Knit and Crochet Patterns for Your Kitty" (Running Press, March 2015).

Thomas hopes the book, with quick knitting and crochet patterns for a dinosaur, chicken, bunny, turkey, cupcake, extraterrestrial, banana, Santa, elf, lion, fox, dog, baby bear and more, will free up time so she can knit and crochet something else.

"As much as I love the cat hat, I do want to do other things," admits Thomas, of Nashville, Tennessee.

"People love their pets it's 'the new baby.' So it's no wonder people want to create personalized, wearable gifts for their pets," Milman says. "A large part of it is also social media .... Who doesn't love seeing cats or dogs on Instagram in cute homemade outfits or accessories?"

At least one of the patterns in the book the Happy Birthday Cat Hat pattern is free at Thomas' blog.

Her two cats, Dorothy and Sinclair, are first to try out her admittedly kitschy creations. Dorothy has proven agreeable, but not Sinclair.

"Sinclair does not enjoy modeling the hats. In fact, he likes to attack them," says Thomas.

A pattern book of hats for dogs isn't out of the question. And Thomas also would like to rework her grandmother's vintage patterns for a book: "She was a beautiful knitter who grew up in Germany, so I'd want to make the patterns era-appropriate."

But first? She'll probably embark on a holiday-themed book that puts more cats in outlandish hats. She has learned that hats for cats sell.

Critical thinking challenge: Etsy is an online store. In what other way has the Internet helped Sara Thomas grow her business?

The people might have been able to make small hats for cats when people don't have enough wool to make a sweater for their children which they will be able to make hats for cats that would like the wool hat. The people might have been able to make hats for cats that one person had been able to make a book on how to quick knit a hat for a cat which would be useful for people that don't have enough to knit something big. The book might have been able to teach people on how to make a small hat for a cat which people would be able to make their cats to be looking great. People might have been able to get the idea of making a hat for cats when they don't have enough wool to make a sweater for someone which can be turned into a hat for a cat.Critical Thinking Question: Etsy is an online store. In what other way has the Internet helped Sara Thomas grow her business?Answer: The Internet had been able to help Sara Thomas to grow her business because the Internet had been able to get ideas for her business.